placeholder for programs
Following the 2025 NATO summit in The Hague, Canada joined allies in pledging that 5% of its annual GDP by 2035 would be allocated to defence, which led to an immediate injection of capital into defence-related spending. The geopolitical reality of the day, marked by the fading of the international rules-based order, has exposed a profound capability gap. Read More…
While sounding unfathomable at first, the world may be growing closer and closer to experiencing “water wars”, which would entail nations fighting for access to our most precious natural resource and basic need: water. Earlier this year, on January 20th, 2026, the United Nations University – Institute for Water, Environment, and Health (UNU-IWEH) published a Read More…
* The second in a three-part series Post-WWII planners accepted free trade as a hallmark of Western prosperity, in part as insurance against war due to the economic interdependence it fosters. However, this institution has not only been challenged, but in the eyes of some, proven to be the product of naive liberal utopianism, and is Read More…
In this article, Lou Didelot explores how whereas NATO increasingly treats climate change as a security challenge, modern deterrence still depends on fossil-fuel-intensive military systems. As geopolitical tensions rise, the alliance faces growing pressures to balance sustainability with operational readiness.
Countries from around the world are invited to represent themselves through national pavilions at the Venice Biennale, an international cultural exhibition with a focus on art in Venice, Italy. In 2026, 100 nations participate in the festival. It provides a unique platform for cultural diplomacy, the projection of soft power, and for countries to showcase Read More…
While Germany struggles with a political divide over reintroducing conscription, Canada offers a viable model of part-time service which may be able to help. In this article, Robert Malloy explores how, as Germany debates how to solve personnel shortages in its armed forces, the Bundeswehr may benefit in learning from the CAF-Reserve model. His article argues Canada has an opportunity to market its reserve model to European allies, and promote itself as an institutional knowledge broker at a time of military revival on the European continent.
Can Canada learn from Singapore’s foreign policy? Baichao Chen explores the economic and geopolitical opportunities for middle powers in the context of a US-China détente
On May 2, 2026, the World Health Organization received notification of a hantavirus outbreak aboard a Dutch-flagged cruise ship. While the outbreak remains contained at the time of reporting, it has renewed policy attention to the persistent security risks posed by zoonotic diseases (any disease naturally transmissible between animals and humans) and the global systems Read More…
Why is Canada buying HIMARS? In this piece, Maral Hamzehloo examines how Canada’s acquisition of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) addresses a critical capability gap within the Canadian Armed Forces and supports Ottawa’s commitment to fielding a combat-capable brigade in Latvia. As HIMARS becomes NATO’s standard long-range fires platform, the system also strengthens interoperability with key allies. However, she argues that the capability’s effectiveness remains tied to access to U.S.-produced munitions, support networks, and industrial capacity. Drawing on recent examples involving Estonia and Ukraine, she contends that Canada should pair the acquisition with stronger munitions resilience, expanded allied procurement mechanisms, and greater domestic industrial participation to ensure the capability can be sustained during a major crisis.
As Indo-Pacific middle powers reshape the region’s maritime security architecture, Anastasia Crook argues rotational deployments and multilateral engagement are Canada’s most effective tools for advancing its interests in a region where permanent basing and fleet size are limited.